


Silent Oath

by winter_mao_flower



Series: DimiAshe Week 2020 [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Barista!Ashe, Fluff, Idol AU, Idol!Dimitri, M/M, Modern AU, Pining, mentioned Sylvix, no beta we die like Glenn, panicked gays
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-04-19
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:09:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23740600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/winter_mao_flower/pseuds/winter_mao_flower
Summary: Ashe is in love with Dimitri, he has been ever since high school. He's also always supported him from afar, content with that. Though, he doesn't expect to suddenly meet him again many years later.
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert
Series: DimiAshe Week 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1710097
Comments: 3
Kudos: 36





	Silent Oath

**Author's Note:**

> Yes the title is a reference to Knights' song Silent Oath- Stan Knights and play Ensemble Stars

_♪ The hands of the clock begin to move ♪_

_♪ Guiding us to today’s chosen game ♪_

_♪ Beyond the door, ♪_

_♪ The premonition begins ♪_

  
  


Ashe quietly hummed a song to himself. It was one of his favorite songs from the idol group ‘DAZE.’ He admired and adored them- one could say that he was a diehard fan. But he didn’t show off that he was a diehard fan. He kept it to himself and only a few people knew. He loved Dimitri the most out of the members in the group- Dimitri was releasing a new solo song tonight and he was quite excited for it.

“Ashe, we’re opening now!” 

Upon hearing Annette’s voice, Ashe snapped out of his thoughts, nodding and responding with an “Okay!” He gently slapped his cheeks and shook his head, before resting his hands on the counter again, greeting the first person who entered with a wide smile. “Welcome to Blue Lions cafe!”

This person had a cap that covered most of his hair and he wore a mask on his face. But though most of their face was covered, there was something awfully familiar about them...

“What would you like to order?” Ashe didn’t let the familiarity get to him though. If he knew this person, it would come to mind later.

“Umm...Hold on.” This was a male’s voice and- his voice was quite pleasing to the ears. “I’m sorry.” He apologized as he got his phone out.

“It’s no problem! Are you ordering for a lot of people?”

“Ah...yes. I lost a game last night, so I had to come.”

Ashe nodded. “I see, well how about this.” He pointed to the pastries on the side. “I’ll give you one of these as a treat for your hard work.”

“N-No it’s fine.” They stumbled on their words and Ashe smiled.

“It’s really no problem. It’ll be on the house. To be able to come here so early…” Ashe nodded, already deciding that he’d give this masked man a treat. He gestured to the pastries and bread on display. “You’re definitely getting one on the house, go ahead and pick one you’d like when you make your order.”

They blinked in surprise and shook his head. “No, really it’s fine…”

Annette laughed. “Sir, you might as well give up. Ashe here can be particularly stubborn when he wants to be, and something tells me he’s definitely not letting you out of here without taking up his offer.”

The masked man looked between the two of them and sighed in resignation. “Okay...as long as it doesn’t cause you too much trouble…”

Ashe’s smile became wider. “Of course it won’t be too much trouble. We can always make more.”

They nodded slowly and told Ashe their order. “Well...I’ll be getting a plain black coffee, a cafe con leche, an iced mocha frappuccino- with extra cinnamon on top, a cinnamon latte, and a vanilla rosemary latte.” He looked at the pastries on the side, and he slowly spoke. “And...could I get some strawberry bread? This is all to-go.”

“Right, that’ll be…” He made sure to remove the price of the bread from the register and looked back up. “Eleven dollars and eighty-seven cents!” Ashe cheerfully chriped. The other took out his wallet, pulling out a credit card and handing it to Ashe. Once Ashe was done with the card, he gave the other his card back- along with the receipt. “Alright, I’ll get to your orders- oh yeah, what’s your name? So I can get the orders to the right person.”

The masked man paused and didn’t speak for a few moments before speaking. “Mitya.”

“Gotcha. I’ll call you over when I’m done with your order then Mitya. You can sit at a nearby table or something.”

Ashe immediately went to get to work on the masked- no, _Mitya’s_ order, humming the song from before again. He still couldn’t shake off the feeling that his voice was strangely familiar, but he’s sure he’s never met this man in his life. He’s sure that he’d remember someone with such pretty and honest looking eyes and a pleasant sounding voice. Whatever, he could think more on that later. Ashe soon finished making all five coffees to-go and got out some strawberry bread, putting it in the bag before walking over to Mitya.

“Here you go, your order is ready.” He handed Mitya the bag, and the other stood up and looked at him, a grateful expression in his eyes, and Ashe thinks he was smiling behind that mask of his.

“Thank you.”

“It’s no problem, remember to come again.”

“I will.” They walked out the store and waved to Ashe as he left, and Ashe waved back. Once they left, Ashe went right back to the counter and Annette gently tapped his shoulder.

“Ashe, don’t you think he felt familiar?”

“He did, but I’m not sure where…” Ashe shook his head. “Anyway, let’s just focus on work for now. It might get busy later.”

“It always gets busy later, Ashe.”

They laughed together and Ashe nodded. “You’re right about that.”

* * *

Dimitri quickly walked back to the dorms after buying the coffee for his members, a flush on his face. Thankfully, however, his mask covered it. This coffee shop was close to their newly built dorms after transferring here, and they had good reviews, so they wanted to try out the coffee. He was the only one who got up so early, aside from Byleth, but like he told that person at the coffee shop, he lost a game.

Speaking of that person at the coffee shop, he was quite...cute if he was being honest. He was quite a cheerful barista and his smiles were genuine. Not to mention that the freckles on the other’s face was...Dimitri wonders what it’d be like to kiss those freckles. Hearing a nickname that no one no longer used for him and he had abandoned come from that barista’s - Ashe, his mind supplies - mouth, it...it made him feel more things than he sho-

He shook his head, willing the warmth to leave his face. No no no this was bad wasn’t it? He was an idol and even though his company didn’t necessarily _mind_ any of the members dating - Sylvain and Felix were dating and miraculously, no one found out - the same couldn’t be said for their fans.

“...Dimitri are you...okay?” Claude’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. When did he get back to the dorms?

Dimitri raised up the bag with the coffee. “Yeah, I got the coffee.”

“Hmm.” Claude squinted at him and then swiftly pulled down his face mask- when did he get that close? “Ah, you’re blushing. You were spacing out pretty hard there too. Something _did_ happen. Did you...”

“No, nothing happened.” Dimitri pulled his face mask back up and placed the coffee on the table. “I have to review my schedule for this week, so I will be in my room.” He quickly made up a random reason to leave, took his coffee and the strawberry bread, and went to his room. Had he let Claude talk to and question him, Dimitri would’ve spilled everything about Ashe and what happened- not that...anything much happened in the first place. But still.

Once he was in his room, he placed the bread and coffee on his desk, turning on his computer shortly afterwards. He walked over to his personal mirror to see if his flush was really that bad, and when he pulled down his face mask...yep. His face was completely red. It was a good thing he wore it at the coffee shop.

Just what was it about this...Ashe person that made Dimitri like this? He’s met a few attractive people before but _never_ in his life did he get this much of a reaction. There was a bit of familiarity from him as well, but maybe that was just the pure warmth he radiated that felt familiar. What caused him to be so...flustered? Was it the use of the nickname “Mitya”? Perhaps it was. After all, that nickname wasn’t ever used by anybody and hearing it again from such a sweet boy-

He internally groaned and sat down at his desk, checking his schedule for the week. Truthfully, he always memorized his schedules by heart, but now that his mind was in disarray he couldn’t remember a single thing! Glancing at the bread that was set aside, he took it and opened it, taking a small bite out of the bread.

The taste was interesting. He took a larger bite out of the bread and the sweet taste of strawberry filled his mouth- but it wasn’t overwhelming. It was...strange, but not in a bad way. It was actually rather good. Dimitri gently put the bread back into the wrap it was in and took a sip out of his coffee, blinking at the taste. It was...more savory than the other places they’ve gotten coffee from- not to mention that the flavor spread through his mouth easily, warmth immediately filled his body as well.

Hm. Ashe said “remember to come again” and truthfully, he responded with an “I will” without thinking too much about it, however at this rate he _would_ have to go again...with an excuse other than going to see Ashe specifically. Wait-

Dimitri hit his head on the desk.

Just then, Sylvain’s voice was heard from the door. “Uhh...Your highness are you alright?”

“I’m fine, thank you for asking.” He lifted his head up from the desk and rubbed his forehead. Dear goddess. He might have a problem.

“Are...you sure?”

Before Dimitri could respond again, Felix’s voice was heard after. “Just leave him alone, he said he’s fine so he’s fine.” He internally thanked Felix. Though their relationship appeared to be tense to other people, they were actually a few of the closest members and could read each other...decently well. That was nothing compared to the pure chemistry of Felix’s relationship with Sylvain though. “We have a variety show later, remember to get it completely together by then, _ou-sama_.” 

The sound of their footsteps leaving was all that was left. And when they were completely gone...

Ah. Felix called him “king” again. That’s right, he had the role of the “king” in this group while the others were his protectors, his knights. Dimitri looked at his schedule to check the time they were supposed to go film...it was sometime around lunch time. He hoped they could eat before then. A sigh left his lips as he ate another piece of bread.

This week he had...a photoshoot with Vogue, promoting his solo album, shooting for a new drama, more variety shows with the members, more promotions, an interview, recording for an advertisement, another drama...

He took another sip of his coffee. Not to mention that they had to prepare for their next comeback and an upcoming concert too. They’d reveal the new song at the concert and hope their fans enjoyed. Everyone’s schedules were always loaded like this. As one of the most popular male idol groups in the country and even the world...well, it was no wonder they had a lot on their plate.

Speaking of his solo album, the music video was being released tonight. Dimitri thought he heard Ashe hum one of DAZE’s songs...was he a fan who just happened to not recognize him? That was fair, he’s heard people say his singing voice was different from his normal voice many times. If he was a fan...well, he hoped that Ashe would enjoy his music video and new song a lot.

At the thought of the cute barista again, Dimitri almost choked on his coffee and placed the cup back down on his desk to cover his face with both of his hands. Goddess why couldn’t he get the thought of him out of his mind?

* * *

As soon as Ashe got home from work that day, he walked into his room and plopped onto the bed, stuffing his face into his pillow. He was tired. Exams were coming up for the college students and they had needed the coffee and used their cafe space to study. Ashe of course, didn’t mind, he’s been there before. He’s even given them a few studying tips!

Seeing them work so hard reminded him of how he was...before he had to drop out. But it was fine! He was a barista and owned a nice coffee shop! Annette worked with him and she was nice to work with. They knew each other from high school and bonded over idols. She even had dreams of becoming an idol herself. She hadn’t given up, but she’s already been to so many auditions and not a single company called her back.

Ashe said it was probably some...really bad luck. Or that companies might’ve been in a bad spot and couldn’t take in any more trainees. Annette was considering going to one of those survival shows- Produce 101 she said.

At the thought of Produce 101, he shook his head. He disliked survival shows- their votes were probably rigged. Big companies were like that, if you weren’t a favorite or got lots of screentime, chances were, you were likely not going to make it. Ashe didn’t think a world like that suited Annette and she didn’t think so too, but she definitely wasn’t one to just abandon her dream like that, so Ashe could only watch and support her while also making sure she didn’t stress herself out.

“...Ashe, aren’t you going to take a shower?” Yuri poked at his head.

His voice was muffled. “I will. Give me a moment. You can shower first.”

“Well, okay.” The sound of Yuri’s footsteps left his room and as they faded away, Ashe lifted his head up and went to go on his phone, typing up a quick support message for all the students taking their exams on his public account he used for business purposes. After he sent the tweet, he went to his private twitter account and immediately got 25 notifications.

Ashe checked the notifications and he threw his head back into his pillow and silently screamed. Why were his followers like this? Why?

He was a relatively popular account because of his tweets and song covers. However, it was also a well-known fact that he loved Dimitri and his followers always tagged him in _anything_ Dimitri related. Which was nice, except for when he was hit with specific fancams and videos.

Typing up a quick “i love and hate all of you” and sending the tweet, he turned off his phone screen and continued to lay there, just about ready to nap. That is, until Yuri entered the room again and poked Ashe’s head.

“Ashe, I’m done taking a shower, go wash yourself. You’re dirty.”

“Mmm…” Ashe rolled over. “Okay Yuri.”

“Take your time in there, Dedue says he might be late coming back home.”

Ashe only nodded before he prepared to take a shower. Once he _was_ in the shower, he absentmindedly thought back to the beginning of his work day. Mitya’s voice had been bothering him a lot. It was just so _familiar_ that he felt like he _had_ to have known this person. He put off figuring it out all day in favor of focusing on his customers.

Now that he had the chance to think about it, he replayed Mitya’s voice over and over again in his head. It only hit him when he was washing his hair- he almost slipped in the shower when it did. Because...no way. _No way_ had a member of his favorite idol group come visit and order coffee from his humble coffee shop and- no no no that wasn’t possible, right?

Ashe quickly finished his shower and changed into his pajamas at godspeed, throwing himself back into his room. He went to his photo album and went to the “His Highness” photo album on his phone, pulling up a video and listening to the voice that came out from it.

_“Hello my lion cubs. I hope you are doing well. Um...This is my nighttime message and I’m not sure what to say, but I hope you’ve had a good day today. If you had a stressful day today, I’m sorry. I know my apologies won’t do much, but I hope your day is good tomorrow. If it happens to still be bad...just know that better days are coming your way. I also hope that my voice can help calm you and help you sleep. That being said...good night. Have sweet dreams.”_

He blanked out halfway through the good night message. The voices matched up and they really were the same. Ashe stuffed his face with his pillow again and internally screamed once more.

Ashe wasn’t sure how long he laid there until he was poked in the head again. Yuri’s voice was laced with concern. “Ashe...you’ve been laying like that for a while. Are you dead?”

“Maybe.” His muffled voice didn’t give away the state of gay panic he was in...hopefully.

“Uh-huh. Well anyway Dedue went ahead and made dinner so let’s go out and eat.”

“Okay.” He lifted his head up from the pillow and dragged himself off to their dining room.

Dedue was already sitting at the table and appeared to be waiting for them. He nodded at the both of them as they appeared and sat down with him. They then started eating, while making small conversation. Though, Ashe was silent for the most part, still in shock from realizing that he unknowingly met his idol today. His luck must’ve been extremely good today.

“he...Ashe. Are you alright? You’ve been spaced out for a while. Did something happen at work?” Dedue gently prodded him.

He blinked and responded tentatively, “Maybe…?”

“Was it a bad customer? Do I need to kick ass?” Yuri raised his eyebrow.

“No no no- it wasn’t a _bad_ customer but it was just…” He vaguely gestured. “You know that idol group that I like?”

“DAZE.” Dedue nodded.

“It’s hard to not know about it. You talk about them all the time- not to mention all those posters in your room…” Yuri trailed off. “Wait. I think I know where you’re getting at.” The purple haired man pointed at him. “You met one of the members at your workplace today.”

Ashe let out a strangled noise from his throat that surprised even himself and he put his face in his hands. “Yes.”

“Hah! So I was right. Which one was it? Byleth? Claude? Sylvain? Felix? Or…” Yuri dramatically gasped. “Was it your favorite king, Dimitri?”

Dedue didn’t blink as he moved Ashe’s plate away from him, in which Ashe knocked his head onto the table where his plate of half-eaten food used to be. This caused Yuri to look at him in alarm. “Wait did I actually get it right? It was Dimitri?”

“...Yes.”

“Hm. No wonder, you admire him greatly.” Dedue nodded as if he completely understood Ashe’s predicament.

“Well look at you, making friends with a popular idol.” Yuri lightly teased him and Ashe lifted his face up. “...Ashe your face is red. You- Do you _like_ like this Dimitri person?” There was no response from Ashe, he was just...staring blankly into the distance. “Oh gods you _do_. Personally Byleth is more of my cup of tea from that group, but you do you.”

“ _Yuuuri…_ ” Ashe groaned and shook his head. “It’s not like that I swear-”

“Ashe, you can hide a lot of things from me - or rather, us - but you can’t hide that crush you’ve had for that king. You’ve been infatuated with him since high school.”

“Shhhhh!” The blush on his face became redder, and even though he tried to shush Yuri, there was really no point in doing so. After all, it wasn’t like they didn’t know of his crush on Dimitri since high school…

You could call it love at first sight, Ashe supposed. There was _something_ about Dimitri that drew Ashe to him. But their positions were very...different within the school. Ashe was just your average kid. He wasn’t popular or anything like that, and most of his time would be spent in the library. His only friends were Annette, Dedue, and Yuri (who had graduated as Ashe finished his freshman year). Dimitri on the other hand, had that charisma that drew people in. He was very popular and always greeted everyone, hanging out with different social groups. His main one was with his childhood friends and they always seemed so happy together.

Compared to them, Ashe was practically no one particularly important. Ashe thought Dimitri was like a crown prince! Dimitri was talented in all aspects and he was also good looking! He was always humble and kind and if he smiled and told you that everything would be okay then...you would think that everything would indeed be okay!

He’d always admire Dimitri from a distance, leaving notes of encouragement and treats for him once a week. It soon turned into everyday as he heard that Dimitri was auditioning to become an idol- and once he stopped attending school so often to focus on his idol work, he’d send the stuff to the agency instead- all the way up until his debut. Dimitri’s childhood friends knew, but he asked them not to say anything about it.

“Ashe, your food is going to get cold.” Dedue gave him a gentle reminder to continue eating his food. Ashe then slowly started to finish his food, still in a bit of a daze.

Yuri sighed. “Honestly, you have it pretty bad for him. Supporting him for so long...I daresay you’re one of the fans that have been around since forever. The way you support him through everything reminds me of a story.”

“A story?” This piqued Ashe’s interest.

“You’ve probably read it before. It was about a prince and his commoner friend. The commoner had wanted to become a knight since he was very young, but he was poor and couldn’t afford going to the academy for it- he could barely take care of his younger siblings. By a stroke of luck, he was found by a noble and was taken in as his son, and his younger siblings were also taken care of by this noble. Because of the noble’s kindness, he was able to attend the academy. When he got there, he found that the kingdom’s prince attended as well.

He was starstruck. The commoner had only seen glimpses of the prince, but now, he was able to see him personally, and as his classmate no less. Though, the commoner was a very nervous one around him. This was because he was a commoner and the prince was nobility. He also harbored affection for the prince, but couldn’t act on them because of their social status, and thus continued to act even more formal to prevent himself from acting upon those feelings- even if accidentally. However, the prince wished for the commoner to be less formal with them since he considered them to be friends.

The commoner could not carry out the prince’s wishes to be informal with him, as hard as he may try, it didn’t work. The prince was not deterred and decided that he’d spend more time with the commoner until he was more comfortable around him, much to the commoner’s dismay. Then, suddenly, a war happened. Right before their very eyes, the commoner could only watch as the prince disappeared and was taken away. He wanted to know what happened to him, what happened to this prince he loved and adored, but he never allowed himself to look for him. His noble house that he was adopted into wouldn’t stand for it and he was rushed to be appointed as a knight and the head of the house.

Five years later, he heard that the prince was back. He quickly left to go support and find the prince, but once he found him again, the prince was in a depressed and low state. The kind prince was replaced with a bitter one. Still, the commoner turned knight and noble wasn’t deterred. He would spend time with the prince every single day, to try and relieve the prince’s pain. When the prince was talking to the souls of the dead, he didn’t ridicule him, nor did he try to snap him out of it. The knight patiently waited for his prince to heal.

While others may call him ‘Your Highness’ with uncertainty, the knight was the only one who proudly said ‘Your Highness.’ It confused the bitter prince very much, but he didn’t think much of it before a particular battle and event that shocked him. The clouds in his heart were cast aside as he became more lost than ever, looking for a direction to turn to. His tactician and one of his closest allies gave him a direction, and the prince realized what he had done. The cruel things he did were terrible. He realized this and gave his allies his most sincere and deepest apologies.

The knight was simply happy that the prince was healed enough to not be so bitter and depressed. It disheartened the knight to see him in such a state. He spoke to the prince with newfound happiness, but the prince did not understand. The prince didn’t understand why the knight would stubbornly stay by his side. Didn’t understand why the knight would continue to call his title with such admiration and reverence. 

The prince thought ‘I do not deserve this’ but as if sensing his thoughts, the knight said to him, under the starriest of skies, ‘You have suffered far too much, Your Highness. More than I and the rest of us could ever know. But the fact that we have stood by you for this long means that you are worthy. Yes, you have done some bad things, but you can redeem yourself. It will take time, but time will heal you. You shouldn’t be thrown into wartime like this, nor should you immediately head for the throne afterwards. You should take some time off to heal after everything is over. Don’t think that you deserve this, because to me, you deserve the land, the seas, the world and all of the stars gathered in the skies.’

It was then that the prince realized just how bright and pure the knight was. One could argue that it was also then that the prince fell in love. And like the knight said, once the war was over, the prince didn’t immediately ascend to the throne. In fact, he solemnly asked his tactician to take over for him temporarily. His tactician agreed and the prince went into hiding afterwards after apologizing to the tactician. He went into hiding and stayed with his knight, who had a ring on his finger that matched the other’s.

...That’s the gist of it anyway.”

Ashe couldn’t help but stare at Yuri after he finished. “I...haven’t heard of that story before. At least, I don’t think so?”

“It’s called Tempest King and the Arrow of Justice...or something like that. You can always look into it if you’re interested.”

“Hmm...maybe.” Ashe checked the time and realized that Dimitri’s music video was dropping soon. “I uh-”

“The music video right? I’ll do the dishes this time.” Yuri gently ruffled Ashe’s hair.

Dedue however, already collected their dishes and was in the midst of doing them. When Yuri realized this, he jumped out from his seat and went to help him immediately, grumbling something like, “Dedue, you already cooked dinner you don’t have to do this.”

Ashe felt guilty, he really did, but he was also grateful to them. They understood how much Dimitri meant to him- even if Dedue didn’t say much (he says he’s bad at conversation) and Yuri teased him, they knew he cared for Dimitri deeply. That they were now worlds apart and he still had that crush on him didn’t help either.

Even if Dimitri didn’t know him, even if he would never be noticed in the end, he still loved and cared for him. He still supported him with all his heart, unchanging even years after. Just like that knight in the story. There was an unexplainable warmth in his chest upon thinking of that story. He hoped that he would also be able to get a happy ending.

...

He wasn’t able to sleep that night after watching the music video and hearing the new song.

* * *

Dimitri woke up early, and he put on some comfortable and casual clothes. He had a photoshoot that day later, but what he wore didn’t matter- it wasn’t like he was going to a particularly formal event anyway. Making sure that his facemask and cap was on, he left the dorms, automatically going to the coffee shop from yesterday.

His facemask and hat was secured on more tightly today- considering that his new music video just dropped yesterday, he couldn’t risk getting found out by fans or reporters. He didn’t want to ask their manager to go get the coffee either...and...maybe a part of him wanted to see the barista from yesterday. Just maybe.

Though, when he arrived, the sign was still flipped to closed and Dimitri could only blankly stare at it. He checked the time and it was the time this coffee shop opened...he thinks. He quickly typed up the name of the shop and saw that he was...a little bit early. ...Thirty minutes early. Did he wake up at an inconvenient time? He wondered if he could wait somewhere in the meantime. Was there a spot available? Should he sit down? Would he look suspicious?

That was when he heard that pleasant and warm voice from before. “Mitya? Is that you?”

Dimitri looked up from his phone to see that cute barist- Ashe. His name was Ashe. Dammit Dimitri stop referring to him as the cute barista (even if he is cute). Realizing that he had yet to respond, he cleared his throat. “Yes, it’s...me.”

Ashe laughed softly and gods it was such a pure and sweet laugh. “You sound like you got caught trying to break into my coffee shop.” The other brought out the keys to open the door. “Well I trust that you weren’t going to do that.”

“Of course not.” Dimitri shook his head. “I wouldn’t-”

“Mm.” Ashe made a sound of affirmation as he unlocked the door. “I know you wouldn’t. You’re not that kind of person.”

That made Dimitri stiffen a little. Was his identity found out? Did this person know who he was? Wouldn’t he get into trouble for letting his identity be known by another person? If this person knew...then at least he could hope that he wouldn’t publicize it. He didn’t want to be swarmed with fans first thing in the morning (though he truly did love and appreciate them, they could be too much sometimes).

He tentatively asked, “How do you know what type of person I am? We’ve only interacted once.”

“...Well…” Ashe opened the door, and walked into his coffee shop, seemingly contemplating an answer. “Your eyes.”

Dimitri slowly walked in after him. “My...eyes?”

“Yeah, your eyes.” The other walked over to the counter and turned to face him, a smile on his face. That smile was truly...breathtaking. “Your eyes are honest and pure. I don’t think anyone with eyes like yours would try to break in.”

His heart skipped a few beats. For a few moments, he couldn’t speak. Ashe also appeared to be nervous after saying that, as if he were afraid he said the wrong thing, or afraid that he spoke a little too much. For someone who said that Dimitri had honest and pure eyes, he thought that description suited Ashe better.

“A-Anyway,” Ashe cleared his throat. “I uh...since you’re here...what would you like to order? Is it the same as yesterday?”

“No, I’m getting my own coffee this time.” Dimitri decides that maybe he wants to stay here for a while. The other members could go get their own coffee.

The other male smiled. “I see. Then what would you like, Mitya?”

“I’ll get a vanilla rosemary latte.” Dimitri pauses. “For here.”

Ashe blinks and nods. “Okay, do you want a snack to go with that?” He gestures to the pastries and bread on display.

The strawberry bread was good last time, but that egg and sausage bread seemed...interesting. “I’ll get the egg and sausage bread.”

“I’ll go ahead and make your coffee then. It’s on the house so you can just sit down somewhere.”

“But- don’t I have to pay…?” Dimitri frowned.

Ashe, however, just tossed over a wrapped up bread- the one he ordered. “Nope, I’ll let you get this on the house. Technically I haven’t opened yet and I wouldn’t want to keep you waiting.”

“I-”

“Not letting you pay.”

Dimitri, after realizing that no, Ashe would really _not_ let him pay, sat at a table nearby. He stared at the wrapped bread in his hands and set it down on the table as he watched Ashe make his coffee. It was quiet, the only sounds being the soft singing coming from Ashe’s lips. He doubts he would’ve heard it if the coffee shop wasn’t quiet. Actually...those hums...they were familiar. Before he knew it, they were both humming the same song- his solo song.

Before he knew it, he too started to sing.

_♪ A letter is sent under the azure moon♪_

_♪ My unspoken dedicating my love towards you♪_

_♪ I am your King, your sword, your shield♪_

_♪ I am your sworn protector♪_

_♪ I am yours♪_

* * *

Ashe suddenly stopped what he was doing when he realized that it wasn’t just his voice that was singing. He had momentarily forgotten that he wasn’t alone and that the person he was making coffee for was his idol and his high school crush. 

He had tried not to act weird earlier, and it seemed to work for the most part. Trying not to stutter and be nervous around Dimitri proved to be harder than expected. Ashe did his best to put on his ‘I am working’ persona and act like Dimitri was just a regular customer. To see him as the customer named ‘Mitya’ he met just yesterday.

It worked! ...Until their voices were joined together through the song. There was a true moment of tranquility and peace then- like he didn’t have to worry about anything and that he could let his guard down. However, it also threw him off when he heard Dimitri’s voice blend with his. How lucky was he? Or unlucky...his heart wasn’t ready.

Ashe gently shook his head and concentrated on the coffee again, before realizing that he had not only finished the coffee, but he made a heart in the coffee. He couldn’t mess it up because that would seem suspicious...and he’s never successfully done latte art before. Not until just now that is. Letting out a soft sigh, he carefully brought the coffee over to Dimitri, a smile on his face that hid his inner panic.

“Here you go Mitya, I hope you enjoy your coffee.”

He walked back to the counter as calmly as he could and stood there, pulling out his phone and frantically texting Yuri, not wanting to see Dimitri’s reaction to the heart.

 _Yuri...help…_ **_[Ashe]_ **

**_[Yuri]_ ** _Ashe? What do you need help on? And so early too?_

 **_[Yuri]_ ** _Your wallet didn’t get stolen right?_

 _No_ **_[Ashe]_ **

_The king came again and I_ **_[Ashe]_ **

_I accidentally_ **_[Ashe]_ **

_Drew a heart_ **_[Ashe]_ **

_In his coffee_ **_[Ashe]_ **

_And I gave it to him._ **_[Ashe]_ **

**_[Yuri]_ ** _Bold move Ashe_

 **_[Yuri]_ ** _This is your chance to get acquainted again, no?_

 **_[Yuri]_ ** _Why are you texting me when you could be talking to him?_

 _Yuri no this is serious_ **_[Ashe]_ **

**_[Yuri]_ ** _And I am being serious_

 **_[Yuri]_ ** _Go talk to the king more_

 **_[Yuri]_ ** _I wish you luck ♡_

 _Yuri no_ **_[Ashe]_ **

**_[Yuri]_ ** _Yuri yes >;)_

_Yuri is now offline_

Ashe didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

“Your name...is Ashe, right?” Dimitri spoke to him a few moments after, starting the conversation as he stared at his cup of coffee and- _oh boy_. Conversation with his crush who saw the heart in the coffee. Fun. He hasn’t had these feelings since high school.

“Y-Yes.” Dammit. He cleared his throat, feeling heat rise up to his face. “Yes. That’s my name.”

“Well, Ashe, what kind of music do you listen to?”

Shouldn’t it have been obvious? Did he have to say that he was a fan of DAZE and of Dimitri right in front of his face? Ah...today is the day that he dies.

“Well...I mainly listen to DAZE. They’re a really good idol group and it’s understandable why they’re so popular.” He meant to stop there. He really did. “Dimitri’s new solo album dropped yesterday, and I thought all of his songs were really good. His music video was great too, there weren’t any flaws in them and he must’ve worked hard. As expected of His Highness.” Ashe abort mission. Please abort the mission. Though, he couldn’t find it in himself to...stop. “That’s not to say I don’t like the other members, but there’s something about Dimitri’s songs that make me feel warm and comforted. And-” _And the man himself._ Luckily he stopped himself and pulled himself together. His face turned red when he did though, and he hid behind the counter.

He rambled on too much! Now Dimitri would think that he was some obsessive fan and never come here again! Ashe gently slapped his cheek to reprimand himself, only to feel how _warm_ it was. He was probably extremely red right now. Aaah...he had to calm down. 

“...Ashe?” Nope he wasn’t calming down anytime soon.

“Y-Yes?” His voice cracked and came out as a squeak. Ashe where was your calm from before? Can it come back? He heard the chair slide across the floor and footsteps and before he knew it, Dimitri was _right there in front of him oh god._

Dimitri pulled down the mask covering his face and lifted up his cap a little so they could see each other more clearly and- Ashe feels like he might go into cardiac arrest. Dimitri was even _more_ handsome in person and he became...more handsome than he remembered. He was trying to get the red flush to go away but he’s sure that it’s back now.

“M-M-Mitya what are you doing?” Ashe blinked furiously because one, he was trying to get the blush to go away, and two, he stuttered so much and they weren’t even that close… His heart was going a thousand miles an hour and he thought that, maybe today really _was_ the day that he’d die.

“You know who I am by now, right?” Dimitri smiled and ruffled Ashe’s hair. Ooooooooooh god. “I’m honored that you think of me that way. You’re obviously a big fan.”

“Y-Yes. I’m a very big fan.” Ashe didn’t know where to look because his eyes would always be drawn to Dimitri’s but he did _not_ want to look into those pure and honest eyes right now. Nope. He’d die. “I...actually realized it was you after I got home that day because you seemed familiar b-but I still call you Mitya because I figured you don’t want to be found out by other people in public like this and-” He started to ramble on again. God he was an embarrassment right now.

Dimitri placed a finger on his lips and Ashe shut up immediately. A smile appeared on the idol’s face and he took his finger away afterwards. Ashe stayed quiet.

“It’s okay to keep calling me Mitya. You can call me that when we’re alone like this too if you want, but um…” Dimitri awkwardly chuckled. “Could you...not let anyone else know about that nickname? Just keep it between the two of us.”

Wwwwwhat. What. Oh god. What was going on right now? Is this real? Did Ashe die? The nickname only used between the two of them? Just the two of them. The two- t-

“O-Okay.” Ashe responded a bit later, the words still registering in his head- _just keep it between the two of them?_ At this point he accepted the fact that his face would be dyed a permanent red.

Dimitri nodded and stood up, pulling his mask up and pulling his hat down afterwards, hiding his face once more. He ruffled Ashe’s hair again. “Cute.” And he started to walk away, before pausing in his steps. “Then, I’ll see you again tomorrow.”

“R-Right. Tomorrow. I’ll see you then.” He blankly stared at the wall as he vaguely registered footsteps leaving the coffee shop, the bells ringing to announce his departure. And then once everything that happened in the past who knows how long started to replay in his head, he jolted so hard that he stood up. Tomorrow? He was coming back tomorrow? Did he just- 

_Did Dimitri call him cute?_ Holy shit.

Ashe numbly walks over to clean up the table Dimitri was formerly at, seeing a neatly folded napkin on the side of his coffee cup. He tilts his head, opening the napkin on a whim and once again, blankly stares.

_“We should talk more when my schedule permits it, it’s enjoyable talking to you :)”_

And there was also a phone number written below it. Ashe nods slowly before making his way to the office and sinking into the chair there, still nodding and he shakily brings his phone out, texting Yuri.

_aaaaaAAAAAAAAAAA_ **_[Ashe]_ **

**_[Yuri]_ ** _?_

 _yuri_ **_[Ashe]_ **

_yuri i jus_ **_[Ashe]_ **

_ttttthis feels s unre_ **_[Ashe]_ **

_yuuuuuuuuurrrrrriiiiiiii_ **_[Ashe]_ **

**_[Yuri]_ ** _...Now I’m concerned_

 **_[Yuri]_ ** _What happened?_

 _I got_ **_[Ashe]_ **

_I_ **_[Ashe]_ **

_Number_ **_[Ashe]_ **

**_[Yuri]_ ** _???????????_

 **_[Yuri]_ ** _Ashe this is an incredibly cryptic message_

 _Igotdimitri’sphonenumberholyshit_ **_[Ashe]_ **

**_[Yuri]_ ** _oh my god_

 **_[Yuri]_ ** _See look! I knew you could do it!_

 **_[Yuri]_ ** _You even got his phone number!_

 _Youdontunderstandhecalledmecuteandruffledmyhair_ **_[Ashe}_ **

_yuri am i dying_ **_[Ashe]_ **

**_[Yuri]_ ** _uh_

 **_[Yuri] Now_ ** _you might be dying_

 **_[Yuri]_ ** _But congratulations on getting the king’s number!_

 **_[Yuri]_ ** _We’ll talk more at home_

 **_[Yuri]_ ** _I’m a bit busy at the moment_

 **_[Yuri]_ ** _Go text your boyfriend_

 _adjshfjksdhfjkdshfa_ **_[Ashe]_ **

_yuri he’s not my boyfriend_ **_[Ashe]_ **

**_[Yuri]_ ** _Not yet ;)_

_Yuri is now offline_

* * *

Dimitri left the coffee shop and he felt a smile rise up onto his face. Ashe was just so _adorable_. He couldn’t help but tease him a little bit just now. The redness on the other’s face from the blushing was just...too cute to resist. He almost wanted to kiss him, but he refrained from doing so-

 _...Oh gods._ He’s really done it now. Dimitri even gave Ashe his phone number. He...hopes that his agency doesn’t find out. He shakes his head and lightly slapped his cheeks before checking the time. It wasn’t even close to the time that he had to be at his photoshoot. So he supposes he should...head back to the dorms.

When he got back, no one was awake yet it seemed. So he had time to go back to his room and pretend that he wasn’t awake at all...yeah...that would be a good plan. He carefully made his way back to his room and laid down on his bed. Dimitri connected his earbuds and he was about to listen to some relaxing piano music until his phone vibrated. It was an unknown number but…

**_[???]_ ** _uhhhhh_

 **_[???]_ ** _mitya this is you right_

 _!_ **_[Dimitri]_ **

_Yes it’s me_ **_[Dimitri]_ **

**_[???]_ ** _you really did give me your phone number_

 **_[???]_ ** _um. This is Ashe by the way_

 _I figured_ **_[Dimitri]_ **

_It turns out I woke up too early_ **_[Dimitri]_ **

_All my members are still asleep_ **_[Dimitri]_ **

**_[Ashe]_ ** _I see_

 **_[Ashe]_ ** _Did you want me to deliver coffee to them?_

 _No, it’s fine_ **_[Dimitri]_ **

_I wouldn’t want to trouble you_ **_[Dimitri]_ **

_Plus, they could stand to get their own coffee sometimes_ **_[Dimitri]_ **

**_[Ashe]_ ** _lol_

 **_[Ashe]_ ** _Then should I wait to see one of them come here?_

 _Maybe_ **_[Dimitri]_ **

_But anyway, you said my music video was practically perfect right?_ **_[Dimitri]_ **

**_[Ashe]_ ** _kjsdhfkahsklfhasd_

 **_[Ashe]_ ** _yyyyes_

 _Do you really think so?_ **_[Dimitri]_ **

_There’s nothing to critique?_ **_[Dimitri]_ **

**_[Ashe]_ ** _You’re perfect so therefore the video is perfect_

 _oh_ **_[Dimitri]_ **

**_[Ashe]_ ** _aaaaaaaaa_

 **_[Ashe]_ ** _I didn’t mean to send that_

 _So you don’t think I’m perfect?_ **_[Dimitri]_ **

**_[Ashe]_ ** _Wait no you are perfect_

 **_[Ashe]_ ** _wait_

 **_[Ashe]_ ** _w_

 _puppyeyes.jpg_ **_[Dimitri]_ **

**_[Ashe]_ ** _ >:( _

**_[Ashe]_ ** _oh more customers started coming_

 **_[Ashe]_ ** _I’ll text you later Mitya_

 _Okay_ **_[Dimitri]_ **

_Ashe is now offline_

Dimitri had a wide smile on his face, proceeding to listen to a relaxing playlist on his phone. However, it wasn’t long until he vaguely heard a knock on his door and a faint “I’m coming in” that he had to pause his music.

At his door, was Felix dragging Sylvain inside his room before closing the door and locking it. Hm. Strange. Dimitri sat up and took out his earbuds. “What is it?”

Felix only pointed at him. “You.”

“...Me?” He blinked.

Sylvain yawned. “I’m still kind of sleepy but man, I didn’t know Your Highness was so fond of Ashe. Haha, it’s kind of great, since-” Felix jabbed Sylvain in the ribs and Sylvain winced. “Ow ow ow...okay okay I’m awake. Anyway, it’s been literal _years_ Felix. I think we can tell His Highness about it.” There wasn’t anything said after that. 

Felix had crossed his arms and looked away, while Sylvain sighed. Dimitri was...still confused. It’s been years? Since what? What had they kept from him? Ashe? They knew Ashe? Though they could’ve easily gone down to the coffee shop themselves and saw the cute barista for themselves. Nothing to worry about. At least...he hopes that was all. He could easily deflect their questions if that was the case...but they said it’s been years...so did they know Ashe from before?

Felix huffed and mumbled something to Sylvain, while the redhead shook his head. “I’m gonna tell him. Plus, he deserves some type of happiness or closure, right?”

Dimitri was still confused, watching their exchange carefully. “Um…”

“Shut up, ou-sama.” The shorter snapped at him and he blinked.

“Now now, he’s just confused.” Sylvain smiled, holding Felix back from...potentially harming him? “To tell you the truth, that cute barista of yours, Ashe. He’s the same cute boy that went to high school with us and admired you from afar.” Sylvain successfully kept Felix under control, if just barely. “The boy who was always at the library reading and studying with his friends. There were notes and gifts of encouragement that he asked me and Felix- heck, even Ingrid, to bring to you. They increased in size and quantity after he found out you were training to become an idol with us to debut.”

Felix had released himself from Sylvain’s hold and he punched the other in the arm. “We promised to not tell him.”

Dimitri was processing everything that he was just told. “Ah?” He didn’t know how to respond.

“I’m _saying,_ Your Highness,” Sylvain grinned. “If you like him and I’m sure he still likes you back, then you should give him a chance.”

“But...” He started. He was an idol. If they were ever caught then they’d surely face repercussions. There were already fans speculating about Sylvain and Felix’s relationship, then again, they did the bare minimum to keep it a secret, and fortunately for them, they were in the same group and could easily seek each other out. If Dimitri gave Ashe a chance, their happiness would be quite limited. He’d have to be careful to not let it slip that he was dating, or else fans might-

“Hey, you’re thinking too much.” Felix crossed his arms once again, his voice making Dimitri snap out of his thoughts. “If you want to be with him then be with him. Don’t make it too complicated. If fans get heated about this and send either of you death threats, so be it. Call security on them. They weren’t truly our fans. Our real fans would support your relationship all the way, as well as mine and Sylvain’s. Just...make sure to tell the company. They’ll help.”

Sylvain nodded, “Yeah yeah! Like how they’re helping with covering our relationship. It’s a good thing too since...well, we can be pretty obvious sometimes.”

“I blame you.” Felix smirked as Sylvain dramatically looked at him (clearly acting) before pointing at Dimitri again. “Make sure to think about this.” Then just as quickly as he came into the room, he left with Sylvain.

He didn’t have to tell Dimitri twice. Dimitri was already thinking and absorbing well...everything that just happened. Standing up, he went over to one of his drawers and opened it up, all the notes and gifts from the anonymous sender in high school...they were still there. Now that he could put a name to these gifts and letters, he couldn’t help but smile. Ashe was truly the warmest person he’s ever met.

If he were to give Ashe a chance...a thank you for supporting him throughout these years. He’d most definitely do it through a song. A song about how he loved Ashe but couldn’t publicly be with him… Suddenly, Dimitri gained inspiration, and he quickly got to work on making a new song, making sure to keep an eye on the time for the rest of his schedules.

This would be his ‘Silent Oath.’

* * *

Ashe played with the ticket in his hand, nervously tapping his foot on the ground. He was waiting for Annette. It’s been almost two weeks since he’s given his phone number to Dimitri, and one week since he was given free tickets from him. He can’t quite put his finger on it, but it felt like something changed between the two of them. Maybe it was just because they became closer recently.

He became less nervous around Dimitri (that wasn’t to say...he _wasn’t_ nervous, but he didn’t turn bright red and stutter around him anymore), and Dimitri always came in thirty minutes early and took off his hat and mask once they were in the empty coffee shop alone. They’d talk and Dimitri would try out some of his new coffee flavors, sometimes even the bread and pastries.

It was one of those days where Dimitri came in, happier than usual, and Ashe remembered that he had a concert coming up. So he asked about it. For some reason, he ended up getting free tickets and a backstage pass- not only that, but he could go into the concert venue early. He was pleasantly surprised upon receiving the tickets and Dimitri simply said it was repayment for allowing him to talk to him and try out the other things at his coffee shop for free.

He sighed softly as he remembered that day. Ashe must’ve saved the world in his past life or something…

“Ashe! I’m sorry I’m la- ah!” Annette’s voice rang out as she ran towards him, but she ended up tripping and Ashe ran over to catch her before she fell. Once she was stabilized, they both sighed in relief.

“Annette, be more careful. Don’t get hurt before the concert.”

“Yes! I’m sorry again for being late.”

“Don’t worry about it, let’s just go in for now.”

As they walked into the concert venue and arrived at their seats, they chatted excitedly about the concert.

“Ashe, I’m surprised you were able to get tickets for the two of us! How much money did you spend to get them and how’d you get them so fast? Usually they’d get sold out in the first minute right?”

“Ahaha...yeah. I just got lucky I guess. Also these tickets were a gift.”

“Hmm~” Annette looked at him, a smile starting to spread across her face. “Was it from that customer you’ve had your eyes on? What was his name…”

As she was thinking, Ashe tilted his head. Ah well, he supposed it wasn’t a _lie…_ “Yeah, it was from him.” Ashe awkwardly scratched his cheek, a small smile on his face as he thought of Dimitri.

She nodded and gripped the ticket in her hand tighter, as if she was making sure she wouldn’t lose it. “I knew it! You’re pretty lucky Ashe. These tickets are expensive.”

Of course, he knew that already. Expensive and he could never afford to go, so even though he’s watched over the group since their debut, this was his first concert. It was finally all hitting him now, and he suddenly became a little nervous.

“Anyway, this is good experience huh...If I’m going to be an idol, I don’t just have to work hard, but I have to learn from watching too!” Annette fist pumps the air and Ashe nods, her excitement and cheerfulness when it came to her dreams infecting him. 

“You have a point- Ah, looks like practice is starting.”

Even during practice, Dimitri still shone the brightest in Ashe’s eyes.

* * *

“...You saw Ashe out there right?” Sylvain smiled at Dimitri, who was doing his best to not be too nervous. 

Usually Dimitri would be the calmest one, but today was different. Ashe was here today and even though he invited the boy himself, he would essentially be putting out his bare feelings out there today. Fans would be touched, even speculate that he was dating, but he specifically sent Ashe a message of ‘Please look forward to the new song revealed at the concert. I wrote it and I hope you like it.’ 

Felix crossed his arms and stared at Dimitri. “Ou-sama, I’m sure I don’t need to remind you but when we get onstage, get less nervous. If you want to proclaim your feelings for him on this stage I won’t stop you, but I’m sure he’ll want to see you at your best. He’s been watching you closely for a long time.”

“...” Dimitri took in a deep breath and nodded. “Right. Thank you Felix.” He smiled and stood up straighter, relaxing himself until he no longer felt nervous- but he still felt the adrenaline of preparing to go onstage and perform.

“Alright Your Highness,” Claude grinned at him. “You ready to go onstage?”

“Yes.”

Byleth smiled at them, nodding. “Then let’s go.”

As the first song started, they went onstage and started to sing and dance, smiles on their faces as they performed the intro song, and all the songs thereafter. Byleth did a special solo dance, he had a blindfold on and wore silk clothes, earning himself more than a few screams from the fans. Claude came up afterwards, he had a special “flying” performance and trusted that the wires carrying him wouldn’t snap. They didn’t. Requiem’s performance caused fans to scream even louder, and Dimitri _knows_ that they’re looking at each other with pure love in their eyes. 

When it came time for him to perform, he stood on the stage and brought out his sword. It was fake, of course. Even though it was fake, it looked very real. Felix even approved of it. He started to sing, pointing his sword at the ceiling. Fans cheered him on.

_♪ A letter is sent under the azure moon♪_

_♪ My unspoken dedicating my love towards you♪_

_♪ I am your King, your sword, your shield♪_

_♪ I am your sworn protector♪_

_♪ I am yours♪_

He danced with the sword in his hands, his practice he put into it showing through his skills. Dimitri might not be as good with a sword as Felix, but he was good enough to put fans in a state of awe. The rest of the concert went by in a blur. When they finally got to their new song reveal, Claude spoke.

“How’s everyone been doing during this concert?!”

There were only loud screams as responses, though Dimitri could pick up the gist of it. They were saying that they were doing good. There were a few ‘I love yous’ scattered nearby.

“That’s good. Now I’m sure you all already know this, but we’re doing a reveal for our new song tonight. Are you guys ready?!”

More screams. Felix mumbled something like “how can he even tell what they’re saying?” to Sylvain and Dimitri stifled a laugh.

“Alright. Dimitri, would you like the honor of introducing our new song to our fans?”

“Suddenly passing on the role of introducing the song to me...Claude, what are you planning?” Dimitri raised his eyebrow at Claude, who only smiled in response. He faced their fans again and shook his head. “This song...I helped write and compose it, while Byleth and Felix helped with the choreography. I…” He looked in Ashe’s direction, spotting the tuff of grey hair that belonged to the other. “...I genuinely hope our feelings can reach you through this song. This will be our ‘Silent Oath.’”

* * *

Ashe felt chills when he saw Dimitri look at him and say those words. It was...it was almost like Dimitri was specifically telling Ashe that it was _him_ the song was about.

_♪ A ‘Silent Oath’ here in an eternity of purity ♪_

_♪ Never being expressed...these words hidden in my heart ♪_

_♪ Together with this sword I have offered to you, ♪_

_♪ this key that I have locked myself with ♪_

_♪ Is a proud and painful oath ♪_

He didn’t know when he started crying- he didn’t even notice it until Annette passed him a tissue- she was also crying. Ashe gave her a watery smile before wiping away his tears. The song made him feel warm, like it was directed to him. Dimitri had said before that he hoped he liked it, and that he wrote it. The idol also said that he hoped their feelings could reach them...though...somehow he felt like what he really wanted to say was ‘I genuinely hope my feelings could reach you through this song,’ and that it was directed towards Ashe himself.

The feelings Dimitri had when he sang and performed the song with them, Ashe could feel them. They were so overwhelming that he cried for the entirety of the song. When the song was over, Ashe found that he couldn’t stop crying. But even so, he felt incredibly warm. Like Dimitri loved him too, like Dimitri returned his feelings.

Maybe…

“We hoped you enjoyed the new song.” Sylvain grinned as he spoke into the mic. “Now our concert is coming to an end-” The crowd groaned and chanted ‘Encore! Encore! Encore! Encore!’ so much that Sylvain looked over at the other members with a raised eyebrow.

“Looks like...they enjoyed that performance.” Dimitri smiled and turned to the others. “Should we do an encore?”

The audience screamed so loud Ashe had to cover his ears, but he too, shouted that he wanted an encore. He wanted to confirm that warmth he felt from Dimitri was the same warmth he felt when he realized he loved him.

They performed their ‘Silent Oath’ again, and Ashe’s eyes sparkled with their light. This may just be any other song to the fans, but Ashe could tell that Dimitri wrote this song as a confession, and also as a song to show his longing to be able to love normally, and that he felt like he didn’t deserve to be with Ashe.

He doesn’t remember the rest of the ending for the concert. When it was over, Annette tugged on his sleeve and she smiled at him. “Their new song was super good! It was so genuine I cried!”

Ashe cleared his throat and nodded. “Yeah.” He played with the backstage pass around his neck. “Anyway...let’s go ahead and go backstage. This is your chance to receive pro tips for becoming an idol.”

“Yeah! You’re right. Though back in high school, I never expected that they’d have the same dream I did. I might be getting too old to become an idol though.” Annette nodded and they left to go backstage, showing their passes to security before carefully walking in. 

“No, I don’t think so. I’m sure you’ll be able to reach your dream of becoming an idol Annette.” Ashe smiled and patted her shoulder. “I believe in you.” They sat in front of the dressing room and waited there, seeing no other fans came. Were the backstage passes exclusively theirs…? It would make sense since...the staff looked at them confusedly and just asked them to wait in front of the dressing room.

Soon, Felix came out and he blinked in mild confusion before pointing to the dressing room with his thumb. “Aren’t you guys going to go in?”

“...Can we?” Ashe blinked.

“Yeah, I don’t see a problem with it. Plus we usually don’t go out of the dressing room ourselves when we’re done with concerts.”

Annette tilted her head. “Even for the people who have backstage passes?”

“Oh, that.” Felix shook his head. “We don’t usually give out backstage passes either.” He opened the door to the dressing room again. “Are you coming in or not?”

Ashe and Annette looked at each other before nodding and tentatively entering the room.

The rest of the members were relaxing on the couch in the dressing room. Byleth was resting his head on Claude’s lap, Sylvain was laying down on the other couch, and Dimitri was talking to the staff in the room. Upon their entrance, however they all looked up.

“Oh, Ashe! Annette! It’s been a long time, how’ve you been?” Sylvain grinned as he greeted them, causing Dimitri to almost snap his neck turning the other way.

“I uh...we’ve been well!” Ashe smiled and Annette nodded.

He received a notification on his phone and checked to see who it was from.

**_[Mitya]_ ** _Can we go outside to talk?_

Ashe looked up and gently patted Annette’s shoulder. “I have to go out for a bit, Yuri called and I missed it. I’ll be right back.”

He walked outside the dressing room and sat nearby. A few minutes later, Dimitri also came out and upon spotting him, he gently held Ashe’s hands. “Did you...the song…” The other seemed to be nervous, and in turn, it made Ashe nervous as well.

“Yes, I received your feelings through the song. I liked it.” Ashe responded with a smile and Dimitri appeared to relax a little.

“Ashe, I…” The other cleared his throat and took one of Ashe’s hands, kissing the back of his hand, whispering softly so that only Ashe could hear. “I love you.”

Ashe’s breath hitched. Dimitri was being truly honest. He knew this. But still it...it was so unexpected for a moment he didn’t know what to say. After all, he had never expected his feelings to be returned. Even though the song earlier seemed like it was for him - and well, now he _knew_ it was for him - he still held small doubts and reminded himself to not get his hopes up.

But now to be confessed to like this, in the backstage area of his first concert- it was all so surreal.

“Please...Ashe, say something.” Dimitri pleaded with him, a hopeful expression in his eyes.

Ashe gently pulled Dimitri down and hugged him, whispering softly. “I love you too.”

Dimitri only hugged him tighter and nuzzled into Ashe’s neck. It tickled.

“Ashe, we can’t be together too often but…”

“I still love you. I’ll still be there by your side, you know that. I’ve always been there for you and that won’t change.”

“...Right. And I’ll work to protect you if anything happens.”

“...You’ll be my sword and shield?”

Dimitri smiled. “...Yeah. Your sworn protector. I swear on my 'Silent Oath'...”

"I am yours."  
  



End file.
